iWill Lead You Back
by Emily McDonald
Summary: They were always there, through smiles and tears, broken hearts, betrayals, and birthdays. They were a family to the girl who didn’t have one, a safety net to the others. They were everything. Can be seen as Seddie, Creddie or trio.


**Summary: **They were always there, through smiles and tears, broken hearts, betrayals, and birthdays. They were a family to the girl who didn't have one, a safety net to the others. They were everything. Can be seen as Seddie, Creddie or trio.

**Disclaimer: **_iCarly _is clearly not mine.

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**iWill Lead You Back**

Nobody saw the dejected look on the blonde's face as she watched iCarly go on without her.

Nobody saw the technical producer look back and see her face. Not even the girl.

Her name is Sam. Samantha Faye Puckett. She is tough, she is rash, she is mean.

His name is Freddie. Fredward Jerald Benson. He is quiet, smart, compliant.

Sam hates Freddie. Freddie hates Sam. Everyone knows that.

Everyone saw the Sam, her brunette friend, a redheaded girl leave Bushwell Plaza after the show.

The brunette is Carly. Carlotta Rose Shay. She is together, sweet, outgoing. Everyone knows that.

No one saw the redhead—Missy Robinson, an old friend of Carly's—threaten Sam. No one saw her lie to Carly's face except Sam. Missy is too nice to lie, she's too nice to try and get rid of Sam. Everyone knows that, Carly says.

* * *

No one saw Spencer Shay get locked in a storage area. No one saw him beg to get out. Nobody but a little boy, an evil little boy, who sits and wonders who the big man is thinking about.

"Who are you thinking about?" the boy—Chuck asks. His voice isn't angry, like usual, it's curious, calm, innocent.

Spencer is too deep in thought to question the mean boy's sudden sweetness. He answers without thinking.

"My family."

"Your family?" Chuck asks quietly, his heart stinging a little bit.

"Yeah…"

Spencer sees images of Carly, Sam, Freddie, Granddad Shay, Socko. They are his family. Not his mother, who left after Carly was born, or his father, who hurt so much after his wife left him that he willingly abandoned his children.

His Dad made him angry sometimes. His Mom made him angry sometimes. But he never told Carly. He never told Carly about those days of her infancy, not even when she asked. He almost told her, once, when she asked why she had never seen her crib.

"She never had one," He murmured aloud, lost in memories.

"Who never had what?" Chuck asked.

"Carly never had a crib."

"Why not?"

Spencer sighed, his hands started to shake as he remembered those nights.

"I couldn't bring myself to leave her," He whispered. "I couldn't make myself let go of her…I told myself it was because I didn't want her to suffer the feeling of abandonment that I did. But really, _I _was afraid…I was afraid that by some sick miracle, she would leave me too."

"My Mom left me. She took my sister too." Chuck whispered to himself, feeling angry like always. "Her name was Anna. AnnaSophia, we called her. Sophia was her middle name. I picked it. Dad suggested we call her AnnaSophia so that we could use both. We _all_ liked that, even Mom, and maybe even Anna too. AnnaSophia's name was the last thing my parents agreed on."

Both boy and man lost their mothers. Boy lost his sister too, man did not. But that will only make it harder for him to let her go.

They'll never tell anyone about this. Chuck Chambers is angry for no reason, Spencer Shay doesn't know anger. Everyone knows that.

* * *

No one saw the blonde girl named Sam rush angrily from the smoothie bar. No one saw her scuttle into the apartment building, run up the stairs, and bang on the door marked Eight-D. No one saw her hands tremble; no one saw her whisper a prayer.

_Please let him be home. Please let him believe me._

"I don't believe you,"

No one could see the pain those words caused her heart. She didn't mean to let anyone see the hurt, especially not him. Sam Puckett is not hurt by dorks. Everyone knows that.

"Fine then. Don't believe me." She told him, disappointment coloring her voice.

He saw the hurt, the vulnerability. For the first time, he saw what she worked so hard to hide, from him in particular.

"Tell me why I should." He called to her as she walked away.

"Because I came," She said.

He shrugged, not understanding.

"I've never come to you for anything, have I?"

He shook his head.

"That's why," She told him quietly. "_That's_ why you should believe me."

Freddie didn't say anything as Sam walked away sullenly. He kept his face indifferent, hollow. Like hers was so often.

He sighed, feeling guilt flood his stomach. Running his toe along the faded carpet outside his apartment, he tried to open the door. Nothing happened.

"Mom!" He yelled, pounding heavily. "Mom! It's Freddie, open the door!"

Still nothing.

"Aw, _butter_!" He yelled, hitting the door with as much momentum as he could. Sitting down angrily outside of his apartment, he looked to where Sam had left.

"_I'm sorry, okay? About…you know, telling people you've never kissed anyone."_

"_That _thing _is not my friend, Carly!"_

He regretted saying those words. He regretted not telling her they were best friends that night on the fire escape, for not repeating what he had told her at her birthday party more often.

"_Sam, even though we fight sometimes, I consider you and me really good friends."_

He couldn't tell her that now. Because Fredward J. Benson does not care about Samantha F. Puckett.

Everyone knows that.

* * *

Carly Shay saw Missy Robinson rip into Samantha Puckett. Missy Robinson saw Carly Shay choose Sam Puckett over her. Samantha Puckett saw Carlotta Shay be the friend she always was.

Carly would do anything for Sam. Everyone knows that.

Sam would do anything for Carly. Not many people know that, but Sam's friends do.

* * *

Everyone saw Carly Shay and Freddie Benson sitting together on the bench, heads bent over the history textbook. Though Carly may not feel as strongly as Freddie does, she still loves him. She loves him like she loves Sam, or Spencer.

But who knows, it may grow to be something stronger.

Maybe it already has.

Not many people know that Carly loves him like that, but Freddie does. He always has known. He knows, and that's why he stays.

That's why he'll always stay.

* * *

Everyone saw Wendy Bennett go up to Freddie Benson and tell him that she knew he gave the trip to Missy.

Everyone saw Carly make him admit he gave it up for Sam. Everyone saw him admit that he did it for the good of iCarly. Freddie lives for iCarly, everyone knows that.

* * *

No one saw him admit that he cares about Sam. Not many people think he does, including Sam herself. But Carly knows; she's always known that Sam and Freddie are bonded on a level she can never reach. What it is she doesn't understand, but she knows it's there. She knows that when they go away to college, Carly will stay in touch with Sam, and so will Freddie. It will be _Sam _that Freddie remembers. Carly and Freddie's relationship is too perfect, and while Sam and Freddie's borders on too dysfunctional, it's still stronger. She knows that, and she's okay.

Because Carly Shay would do anything for her best friends, and she's glad that everyone knows.

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Author's Notes: Well, there's my oneshot! Angst, kind of sad…but hopefully touching, and maybe possible if the show wasn't a comedy. As you can probably tell, this story is set during "iReunite with Missy". The title comes from a lyric in Jennette McCurdy's song, "Homeless Heart". That song inspired this fanfic, and I played it the entire time I was writing it. If the story didn't have an emotional feel to it, try rereading it while playing the song over and over. :) I hope you enjoyed, and please review.


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